Male Caregivers: Here are Some Directions

Why did Moses spend 40 years wandering in the desert? Because he wouldn’t stop to ask for directions.

Research indicates that men tend to seek help less often than women and this includes seeking help with caregiving responsibilities. The good news, as expounded on in my last post, is that these men are not alone. The numbers of male caregivers are increasing daily.

The physical challenges of caregiving may include lifting, transferring, and helping with activities of daily living such as dressing, toileting and bathing. Couple these with the mental challenges caused by lack of sleep, anxiety, feelings of anger, grief and loss; and odds are providing care will take its toll on the health of all caregivers regardless of gender. However, men are more likely to have these challenges negatively impact their health as hormonal differences in men put them at greater risk for stress related illnesses. A study published in the February 2010 volume of Stroke: the Journal of the American Heart Association, noted that caregiver stress can significantly raise the risk for stroke and this was greater for male/husband caregivers versus female/wife caregivers and even higher for African-American men.

A large percentage of men are attempting to maintain a full work schedule while balancing caregiving duties. It seems, however, that they don’t share their trials and tribulations around the water cooler. The 2003 Met Life Study, “Sons at Work”, conducted by the National Alliance for Caregiving and Towson University, found that “men are less likely to discuss caregiving issues with co-workers and two-thirds of them were not aware of existing eldercare benefits”.

Enough with the statistics, let’s get down to some tips to help you guys get through the day a little easier:

* Educate yourself about your loved one’s disease or condition. Knowledge is power, and the more you know, the more you will know what to expect. Having a basic understanding of what is happening medically can empower you to ask the right questions and be a better advocate.

*If you are working speak to your employer and learn about any caregiving benefits that might be available.

* Consider hiring a health aide to provide personal care to your loved one including bathing and dressing.

*If you have hired an aide use that time to get out of the house for errands but also something enjoyable if possible.

*Some avenues for assistance beside Certified Home Health Agencies are your church or temple, your local senior service center (they often have medical equipment to lend out), community caregiving groups, and of course friends and family.

*You have to keep up your own health in order to successfully care for others. See your doctor for regular check-ups, maintain a healthy diet and exercise regularly.

*If you like technology you can find support and information on the internet. Dementia Challenger and The Alzheimer’s Spouse are sites that provide practical tips for helping a female loved one complete activities such as putting on bras, pantyhose (they say ditch them ) , makeup and other personal care.

*Another good use of technology is using your smart phone to schedule appointments, remember when to give medications, maintain health histories and organize pertinent medical information. Just search for “caregiving” apps.

*Consider finding a support group. Although the research indicates men are not thrilled talking with others about their personal problems, sometimes speaking with people who are in your exact situation and may have tips to share can be extremely therapeutic.

Get the latest health updates

Thanks for signing up!

Oops!

A system error was encountered. Please try again later.

Follow us on your favorite social network!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lynda Shrager

Lynda Shrager began navigating through the mystifying maze that is our national health care system on the day, more than 19 years ago, when she and her daughter were simultaneously diagnosed with...read more

SEARCH ALL COLUMNS

This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here.

Advertising Notice

This Site and third parties who place advertisements on this Site may collect and use information about
your visits to this Site and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of
interest to you. If you would like to obtain more information about these advertising practices and to make
choices about online behavioral advertising, please click here.